My 10 yo and 7 yo have always preferred to set up their dollhouse people/calico critters and furniture inside of boxes or bookshelves rather than in dollhouses--and they've had several, all thrifted. If I had to do it over again, I would save all my money for furniture and accessories and skip the big house.

My kids have really enjoyed playing with Calico Critters. We use boxes instead of dollhouses--although they do have dollhouses--they would rather set up little houses and rooms in boxes instead. So I would save my money for furniture and miniatures, rather then getting a big house. Playmobil is a big hit here, too.

It sounds like you're on your way. That's great! Remember that growling doesn't necessarily mean your dog wants to bite you. He's just telling you that he doesn't like what you're doing. That's OK--you want him to warn you. Keep talking him through it and show him with your assertive behavior, like the towel wrap, that you are going to do what it takes to help him heal. Hang in there!

I just read the update to my kids, who've been discussing the ending of Dogs all this week. They are both delighted. I will say, as someone who worked in animal rescue for years, that I thought Schmidt's understanding of the overpopulation dilemma was presented both accurately and with sensitivity. If you don't want your kids to encounter anything upsetting in a math book, well, fine, skip LofF. But if you are willing to engage in math as a human discipline, with the same emotional impact of every other human discipline, then you can trust Schmidt to handle the material with the care it deserves. I wish a Kingie could save every unwanted dog or cat.

I agree. I would even go so far as to say that it's the interpretation of the musician that creates the art--otherwise, the concertgoers could just purchase a CD of historical instruments playing each piece and stay at home. In many ways, Bach was limited by the technology of his time period. If his musicians had had access to modern instruments, perhaps his artistic emphasis would have been less on precision and more on expression. It's impossible to say. It can be enjoyable to listen to a historic performance of ur-text music, and it can be enjoyable to hear Glenn Gould. Both are art, and neither are "wrong."

When you say that Baxter "almost took off DD's cheek" do you mean because he snapped his teeth so close to her, it seems like he could have seriously injured her? That his teeth did not actually touch her skin? Because if that is the case, you have a much better, safer situation on your hands then you might otherwise, although I am sure that it is upsetting and scary. I've done quite a bit of animal rescue, and trained with several animal behaviorists, so I am not just giving my opinion, this is my informed opinion. ;) But the fact is that dogs are extraordinarily sensitive with how they use their teeth and mouths, and they are much, much faster than a human. When humans measure their reaction time by pressing a lighted button, and they're doing very well, the fact is that a dog can bite twice in the amount of time it takes a quick human to press that button. They are faster than we are. If Baxter meant to bite your DD, he could easily have done so before she could have moved away. Also, there is no dog that won't bite once a certain threshold has been passed. For some dogs, that threshold may be very high, like having his or her tail slammed in a door, for others, it is quite low, and they'll bite when you reach for their food bowl, or grab for their collar. The key issue for any dog is not how high the bite threshold, but how good the bite inhibition once that threshold is passed. You want a dog that will do just what yours did--snap near, but not touching, the skin. You want a dog that knows, no matter how startled/angry/hurt they may feel, that human skin does not get chomped down on. And that is what your dog showed. Now, ideally, his bite threshold would be higher than just reaching across him when he's lying on the couch. If he were my dog, he would not be lying on the couch ever again, since he's treating it like a spot he must defend. And I would also take him to the vet, since dogs with long backs and short legs can have painful hip or spine problems that can lower their bite threshold. And I would also begin the "nothing in life is free" training program, which you can google for more information. (Basically, it means that you and your kids ask the dog to obey a command, like "sit" or "down" before he gets anything--dinner, his leash put on, or the back door opened for him.) But I would not assume that you have to get rid of him immediately. If he has good bite inhibition, which he demonstrated by snapping AT your daughter and not actually biting her face, then his bite threshold can be improved without danger. Sounds like a stressful evening for everyone! :grouphug:

We have a Brother brand laser printer/scanner/copier and I totally love it. The copy function is amazingly useful--I wouldn't homeschool without it! We got a reconditioned one that was cheaper than new--we've had it almost two years and it's never given us any trouble.

The orange book does start with counting, but goes through addition in two digits and multiplication, plus analog clock reading and a few other topics. You can always skip the counting pages if he doesn't want to work on those.

The next logical step, to my mind, would be to look at the AP English exams. There are two, English Language and English Literature. Descriptions can be found here: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/subjects.html At many public high schools, the preparation for the Literature exam can be spread over two years, one of which concentrates on English literature and the other on American literature. Obviously, the English year begins much earlier and contains more material from before the 20th century, so if you prefer, you could devote more months to the English component. It would be an advantage for such a gifted kid to have high scores (5s, basically, although perhaps a 4 and a 5 would also be reflective of her talents) for college applications. Nothing on a transcript is as clear a statement of achievement as an AP test score of 5, at least in the minds of admissions committees.

"He will outgrow that with proper training, right?" I would bet that he will not. Frankly, he could have run off from his prior home--and a Dane mix could easily go twenty or thirty miles. He sounds like a dream--I hope you enjoy him! I wouldn't trust him off leash, though, especially when it sounds like you have a large fenced area for him to play in.

The teething tablets were recalled, because, according to the FDA, some children who were given them showed signs of belladonna poisoning. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm230761.htm Personally, I'll stick with tylenol for my teething babies.

I'm such a wimp about transporting food--I would probably plan to pick up bagels and bring a selections of cream cheese, jams, and perhaps some peanut butter or soy-nut butter. It keeps you from worrying about cold eggs or food that's been out of the refrigerator too long.

Sometimes Michaels or Target will sell mini scrapbooks in their dollar bins--might be worth a look. I think the scrapbook idea is a cute one--but not at $6 per head!

I've read some additional articles about this sad situation. The mother is severely brain damaged and is completely taken care of by her parents. The maternal grandparents are hoping that seeing the children will somehow call the daughter back from her vegetative state. I agree that the husband is portrayed poorly in this CNN article--but the larger story does not make him into the villain he seems to be here. It's a tragic story for all of the participants.

We're enjoying the Which Way puzzle books from Highlights--each month (or every other month--can't remember) you get two new state maps and two puzzle books to go with them. My 8 year old and my 5 year old work on them together.